Cellulose-ether solvent and composition



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STEWART J. CARROLL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOIR. TO EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A GORPORATIQN OF NEW YORK.

CELLULOSE-ETHER SOLVENT AND COMZFQSITION.

Ho Drawin g.

Be it known that I, STEWART J. CARROLL,

. a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cellulose-Ether Solvents and Compositions (Case B), of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to solvents for making strong solutions of cellulose ether and also relates to the cellulose ether compositions produced by the aid of such solvents. One object of my invention is to provide a solvent which will dissolve such large proportions of cellulose ethers that thick or viscous flowable solutions may be obtained for use in plastic andfilm making arts. Another object of my invention is to provide a cellulose ether solution which may be manufactured into strong, flexible, transparent film. on the machines and by the methods now in use.

In U. S. Patent No. 1,188,376, Lilienfeld, June 20, 1916, there are disclosed a series of alkyl ethers of cellulose. Certain of these are practically insoluble in water, and my invention relates, but is not limited, to the ethers having that property. While the ethers form thin solutions in the lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohols or xylene, it has been found that such single solvent-s by themselves do not dissolve a sufiicient proportion of the ethers to make a desirably thick flowable composition or dope, such as may be used in the manufacture of photographic film base by' customarymethods, or in the other plastic arts.

I have discovered that an adequately strong and useful solvent may be prepared by mixing xylene with one or more of the lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohols. By the lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohols, I include those having less than 6 carbon atoms. For example, I may use from 90 to 10 parts of xylene and 10 to 90 parts by weight of the alcohol, say methyl or ethyl alcohol as an illustration. In the preferred form of my invention, I use equal parts by weight of xylene and methyl or ethyl alco- Application filed April 1,

1921. Serial No. 457,722.

hol. While the amount of ether that mav be dissolved in such mixed solvents may lie varied as desired over a large range, it is noted, for the sake of example, that 1 part by weight of water-insoluble ethyl cellulose when dissolved in 5 parts of one of the above mixed or compound solvents ylelds a thick viscous flowable solution.

Other substances which impart additional suppleness, or incombustibility, or other qualities, to the film may also be added to thedope, such, for instance, as trlphenyl or tricresyl phosphate, camphor, etc. In the formation of the film a con siderable amount of xylene is left therein, due to its relatively low volatility. it imparts useful properties-to such film.

The ingredients are of the ordinary commerclal type and sufiiciently purified for the process of film manufacture, so as to give a dope yielding films having the proper relative freedom from color. The viscous-flowable dope above described can be used in connection with the usual filmforming apparatus without the necessity of expensive alterations in the latter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A solvent for cellulose ethers, comprlsing'a mixture of xylene and a lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohol.

2. A solvent for alkyl ethers of cellulose, comprising from 90 to 10 parts by weight of xylene and from 10 to 90 parts by weight of a lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohol.

3. A composition of matter, comprising cellulose ether dissolved in a mixture containing xylene and a lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohol.

4. A viscous flowable composition, comprising an alkyl ether of cellulose-dissolved in a solvent containing from 90 to 10 parts by weight of xylene and 10 to 90 parts of a lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohol.

5. A composition of matter, comprising water-insoluble ethyl cellulose, xylene and methyl alcohol.

Signed at Rochester, New York, this 26th day of March, 1921.

STEWART J. CARROLL. 

